scholarly journals Decision-making capacity for treatment in psychiatric and medical in-patients: Cross-sectional, comparative study

2013 ◽  
Vol 203 (6) ◽  
pp. 461-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth S. Owen ◽  
George Szmukler ◽  
Genevra Richardson ◽  
Anthony S. David ◽  
Vanessa Raymont ◽  
...  

BackgroundIs the nature of decision-making capacity (DMC) for treatment significantly different in medical and psychiatric patients?AimsTo compare the abilities relevant to DMC for treatment in medical and psychiatric patients who are able to communicate a treatment choice.MethodA secondary analysis of two cross-sectional studies of consecutive admissions: 125 to a psychiatric hospital and 164 to a medical hospital. The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool – Treatment and a clinical interview were used to assess decision-making abilities (understanding, appreciating and reasoning) and judgements of DMC. We limited analysis to patients able to express a choice about treatment and stratified the analysis by low and high understanding ability.ResultsMost people scoring low on understanding were judged to lack DMC and there was no difference by hospital (P=0.14). In both hospitals there were patients who were able to understand yet lacked DMC (39% psychiatric v. 13% medical in-patients, P<0.001). Appreciation was a better ‘test’ of DMC in the psychiatric hospital (where psychotic and severe affective disorders predominated) (P<0.001), whereas reasoning was a better test of DMC in the medical hospital (where cognitive impairment was common) (P=0.02).ConclusionsAmong those with good understanding, the appreciation ability had more salience to DMC for treatment in a psychiatric setting and the reasoning ability had more salience in a medical setting.

2018 ◽  
Vol 213 (2) ◽  
pp. 484-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Walter Jack Spencer ◽  
Tania Gergel ◽  
Matthew Hotopf ◽  
Gareth S. Owen

BackgroundConsent to research with decision-making capacity for research (DMC-R) is normally a requirement for study participation. Although the symptoms of schizophrenia and related psychoses are known to affect decision-making capacity for treatment (DMC-T), we know little about their effect on DMC-R.AimsWe aimed to determine if DMC-R differs from DMC-T in proportion and associated symptoms in an in-patient sample of people with schizophrenia and related psychoses.MethodCross-sectional study of psychiatric in-patients admitted for assessment and/or treatment of schizophrenia and related psychoses. We measured DMC-R and DMC-T using ‘expert judgement’ clinical assessment guided by the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research, the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment and the legal framework of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), in addition to symptoms of psychosis.ResultsThere were 84 participants in the study. Half the participants had DMC-R (51%, 95% CI 40–62%) and a third had DMC-T (31%, 95% CI 21–43%) and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Thought disorder was most associated with lacking DMC-R (odds ratio 5.72, 95% CI 2.01–16.31, P = 0.001), whereas lack of insight was most associated with lacking DMC-T (odds ratio 26.34, 95% CI 3.60–192.66, P = 0.001). With the exception of improved education status and better DMC-R, there was no effect of sociodemographic variables on either DMC-R or DMC-T.ConclusionsWe have shown that even when severely unwell, people with schizophrenia and related psychoses in in-patient settings commonly retain DMC-R despite lacking DMC-T. Furthermore, different symptoms have different effects on decision-making abilities for different decisions. We should not view in-patient psychiatric settings as a research ‘no-go area’ and, where appropriate, should recruit in these settings.Declaration of interestNone.


2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762098155
Author(s):  
Doyel Ghosh ◽  
Pritha Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Ishani Chatterjee ◽  
Prasanta Kumar Roy

Background: There is a gap in understanding the pathogenesis of dissociative conversion disorder (DCD), despite the disorder having a strong historical root. The role of personality and neurocognitive factors are now highlighted; however, inconsistencies are reported. This study explores the personality disposition, arousability, and decision-making ability of patients with DCD, in reference to a healthy control group (HCG). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the sample comprised ten adult psychiatric patients with DCD. Ten participants of the HCG were matched according to age, gender, education, economic status, domicile, religious background, and handedness. The study assessed personality disposition with Temperament and Character Inventory, arousability with reaction time task, and decision-making ability with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT PEBL version). Results: The DCD group differed significantly on personality disposition related to both temperament and character. There was also evidence of easy arousability and frustration along with deficit in executive function related to decision-making ability. Conclusion: This study highlights the presence of both temperamental and characterological factors associated with DCD. Moreover, this study identifies the role of cognitive arousability and decision-making or feedback utilization ability in the psychopathology of DCD.


2020 ◽  
pp. 070674372096644
Author(s):  
Stéphane Raffard ◽  
Cindy Lebrun ◽  
Yasmine Laraki ◽  
Delphine Capdevielle

Background: Assessing an individual’s capacity to consent to treatment is a complex and challenging task for psychiatrists and health-care professionals. Diminished capacity to consent to pharmacological treatment is a common concern in individuals with schizophrenia. The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment (MacCAT-T) is the most common tool used in individuals with schizophrenia to evaluate the decision-making abilities for judgments about competence to consent to treatment. This instrument assesses patients’ competence to make treatment decisions by examining their capacities in 4 areas: understanding information relevant to their condition and the recommended treatment, reasoning about the potential risks and benefits of their choices, appreciating the nature of their situation and the consequences of their choices, and expressing a choice. Despite its importance, there is no French version of this scale. Furthermore, its factor structure has never been explored, although validated measures are strongly needed to further detect deficits in patients’ decision-making abilities. The goal of this study was thus to empirically validate a French version of the MacCAT-T in a French sample of individuals with schizophrenia. Method: In this cross-sectional study, we included 125 inpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia from the University Department of Adult Psychiatry in Montpellier. The MacCAT-T was administered to patients by a trained psychologist. Patients were also assessed for severity of symptoms, insight into illness, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Inter-rater reliability and psychometric properties including internal consistency, construct validity, and discriminant and divergent validity were also investigated. Results: The MacCAT-T’s internal consistency was high (Cronbach α of 0.91). A high degree of inter-rater reliability was found for all the areas of the MacCAT-T (intraclass correlation coefficient range, 0.92 to 0.98). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 2-factor model. The factor analysis explained 50.03% of the total score variation. Component 1 included all subparts of “understanding.” Component 2 included all subparts of “appreciation” and “reasoning” and was therefore labeled “reflexivity.” After Bonferroni corrections, decision-making capacity was positively associated with insight and the severity of psychotic symptoms but not with sociodemographic variables except for education. Conclusions: The MacCAT-T demonstrated a high degree of inter-rater reliability and strong psychometric properties. The French version of the MacCAT-T is a valid instrument to assess the decision-making capacity to consent to treatment in a French sample of individuals with schizophrenia.


2013 ◽  
Vol 203 (6) ◽  
pp. 403-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Y. H. Kim

SummaryEvaluation of decision-making capacity (DMC) for treatment is challenging. Owen et al, in this issue of the Journal, compare the abilities (understanding, appreciation and reasoning) relevant to DMC in medical and psychiatric patients. Here I discuss three key issues their article raises and that are relevant to the direction of future research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalisha Bonds ◽  
MinKyoung Song ◽  
Carol J Whitlatch ◽  
Karen S Lyons ◽  
Jeffrey A Kaye ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Objectives Greater everyday decision-making involvement by persons living with dementia (PLWD) and congruent appraisal between PLWDs and their caregivers have been associated with a better quality of life (QOL) for both members of the dyad. However, no study has examined the association between the appraisals of everyday decision-making involvement of PLWDs and their QOL among African Americans. Research Design and Methods A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from 62 African American dementia dyads was conducted. Multilevel and latent class mixture modeling was used to characterize dyadic appraisal of the decision-making involvement of African American PLWDs and identify distinct patterns thereof. Results Three distinct patterns were observed. “Incongruent, PLWD Low Involvement” labeled 19.4% of the sample, 53.2% were labeled “Incongruent, PLWD Moderate Involvement,” and 27.4% were labeled “Congruent, PLWD High Involvement.” The Congruent, PLWD High Involvement pattern consisted of PLWDs who were significantly younger and had significantly less cognitive impairment than PLWDs in the other patterns. In the Incongruent, PLWD Moderate Involvement pattern, PLWDs had significantly better QOL than PLWDs in the Incongruent, PLWD Low Involvement pattern, but QOL did not significantly differ from PLWDs in the Congruent, PLWD High Involvement pattern. Discussion and Implications There is a need to tailor strategies to optimize QOL in African American dementia dyads. While increasing everyday decision-making involvement for PLWDs in the Incongruent, PLWD Low Involvement pattern is an important goal, other strategies may be needed to improve the QOL of PLWDs in the remaining patterns.


2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110247
Author(s):  
Guillermo Salinas-Escudero ◽  
María Fernanda Carrillo-Vega ◽  
Carmen García-Peña ◽  
Silvia Martínez-Valverde ◽  
Luis David Jácome-Maldonado ◽  
...  

Objective: To determine the association of frailty with out-of-pocket expenses (OOPEs) during the last year of life of Mexican older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional secondary analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), a representative population-based cohort study. Health care expenses were estimated, and a probit model was used to estimate the probability that older adults had OOPE. A general linear model was applied to explain OOPE magnitudes. Results: A total of 55.8% of individuals reported having OOPE with a mean of 3,261 USD. Average OOPE for hospitalization during the last year of life was 7,011.9 USD. Older adults taking their own medical decisions during the last year of life expended less than those who did not. Conclusion: No affiliation to health services, frailty, and health decision-making by others increased the probability of OOPE. The magnitude is determined by age, hospitalization, medical visits, affiliation, frailty, and health decision-making by others.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Tiraboschi ◽  
Erica Chitò ◽  
Leonardo Sacco ◽  
Marta Sala ◽  
Stefano Stefanini ◽  
...  

Voting by persons with dementia raises questions about their decision-making capacity. Methods specifically addressing voting capacity of demented people have been proposed in the US, but never tested elsewhere. We translated and adapted the US Competence Assessment Tool for Voting (CAT-V) to the Italian context, using it before 2006 elections for Prime Minister. Consisting of a brief questionnaire, this tool evaluates the following decision-making abilities: understanding nature and effect of voting, expressing a choice, and reasoning about voting choices. Subjects' performance was examined in relation to dementia severity. Of 38 subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) enrolled in the study, only three scored the maximum on all CAT-V items. MMSE and CAT-V scores correlated only moderately (; ) with one another, reflecting the variability of subjects' performance at any disease stage. Most participants (90%), although performing poorly on understanding and reasoning items, scored the maximum on the choice measure. Our results imply that voting capacity in AD is only roughly predicted by MMSE scores and may more accurately be measured by a structured questionnaire, such as the CAT-V. Among the decision-making abilities evaluated by the CAT-V, expressing a choice was by far the least affected by the dementing process.


Author(s):  
Feroza Arbee ◽  
Ugasvaree Subramaney

Background: Absconding from psychiatric facilities, the aetiology and impact of which have major socio-economic implications, has a multifactorial aetiological basis. Absconding patients are at higher risk of self-harm, violence, non-adherence, relapses, substance use and negative media attention. Most health professionals associate absconding with the escape of potentially dangerous psychiatric patients. Absconding causes fear and uncertainty, and portrays psychiatric services negatively. Identification of potential absconders would assist with risk assessment and prevention.Aim: The aim of this study was to formulate an absconding rate as well as a descriptive profile of absconders since the inception of democracy and deinstitutionalisation.Setting: The study was conducted at Sterkfontein Hospital, a specialised psychiatric hospital outside Johannesburg.Methods: A retrospective record review of absconders from Sterkfontein Hospital in Johannesburg over 1 year was conducted.Results: The absconding rate was 7.83%. The characteristics of the typical absconder included single, unemployed male, early 30s, known to psychiatric services, diagnosed with schizophrenia and co-morbid substance use. An absconder is more likely to be a forensic patient not returning from official leave of absence.Conclusion: The absconding rate has decreased to less than half that of a previous study, and is within international norms. While the descriptive profile is of limited value, it does appear that psychiatric patients are being treated in a less restrictive manner resulting in fewer absconders and a change in the method of absconding. The implications for clinical practice are firstly that a clearer definition of the term absconding is needed as this will impact risk assessment and management. It is recommended that future studies separate forensic and general populations. Lastly, the formulation and use of a risk assessment tool may be of value.


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